Walmart has announced that the head of its Chinese business, Sean Clarke, will replace his namesake Andy Clarke as president and chief executive of Asda when he steps down in July. Andy Clarke will remain with the business until the end of the year, retaining his current role as Asda’s representative as president of the IGD, a research and training charity for the global food and grocery industry.

Roger Burnley will become deputy chief executive and chief operating officer of the supermarket, having worked for the retailer between 1996 and 2002. During this time, he played a key role in the integration of Asda into Walmart in 1999.

David Cheesewright, president and chief executive of Walmart International, said: “Actively managing our global business portfolio is a key element of our international strategy, and we must have the right talent in place to lead our businesses through times of change.

“Sean is one of our most experienced global executives, and through his leadership we will build upon the momentum of Project Renewal to reposition Asda in a very competitive market place.”

Cheesewright added: “Together with the existing Asda executive team, Sean and Roger will serve as an incredibly powerful team to lead our Asda business. Their complementary skills and combined expertise in the UK retail market and globally brings an unrivalled breadth of retail knowledge to Asda.
“Dirk is well positioned to lead the China and Japan businesses due to his prior roles in Asia and his deep knowledge of the retail business from his time in Europe.”